hours to go, president obama says a deal between democrats and republicans is, quote, within reach as america ticks closer to the fiscal cliff at midnight. >> they are close, but they're not there yet. and one thing we can count on with respect to this congress is that if there is even one second left before you have to do what you're supposed to do, they will use that last second. >> duown to the wire. if you thought the fiscal cliff snuck up on congress, the debt ceiling bill that triggered this to begin with was signed into law in 2011. we have known from that day forward this day would be upon us if nothing was done. and everyone in congress has known all along what it would take to avert the blanket tax hikes and spending cuts that are mandated to start in the new year. how much time is that, by the way? 517 days, or you can call it one year, four months and 29 days, or 73 weeks or 12,408 hours. you get the point. your political leader is engrossed in a colossal waste of time. the tax cuts were enacted for ten years starting in 2001 and then extended in 2010 for another two years, so we